Ripple Effect, With Clarity of Vision
by Alveric
Summary: Sam's closest friend since childhood shares her hopes and dreams of reaching out to the stars. Their lives were changed by a chance meeting as children which inextricably linked together their fates. Side-story to 'The Times That Weren't' etc. Cam/Sam


Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate: SG-1, I am only playing in the world

A/N: Here is another side story / companion piece to my series of SG-1 tales. Please enjoy this little peek into another alternate reality

**Ripple Effect – With Clarity of Vision**

McLean, Virginia, May 1984 (alternate reality)

_Dear Cameron,_

_I wish you were here today, I'm so nervous and scared about the speech that my insides are like jello. I just know that if you were here I would have no problem doing this, but you're so far away in Kansas. I hope you're at least thinking about me today and wishing me luck._

_You're finally through your freshman year now too, are you going to try out for the varsity team? I know you're good enough and I think you could help GW get through the districts at least._

_Have your parents dropped any hints at all about their holiday plans? Mine have been completely silent, it's as if they're deliberately trying to turn me into some sort of undercover agent by forcing me to find out by covert means. It's infuriating. All I want is to be able to see you sometime before I leave for Massachusetts I need to see you, Cameron._

"Samantha! You have less than an hour to get ready and you haven't eaten breakfast yet!" Sam pushed her glasses back up her nose and glanced at her open door whence her mother's voice floated in from downstairs.

"Okay, Mom! I'm nearly ready!" she called and turned back to her letter.

_I have to end this letter here, sorry it's so short, but we're about to head off to the ceremony. I'll write you an extra long letter next time._

_Hugs and kisses,_

_Sam_

_P.S. There's a really important reason I want to see you before I go. I hope I do._

She folded the single sheet of paper and stuffed it in an envelope she had prepared earlier with Cameron's address and sealed it. She just needed a stamp. She stood up and hopped over to her mirror for some final checks of her appearance. Her mother made her wear a dress today, but that was okay, it was a special occasion. She checked her long pony tail and forced her fringe over to the left again and smiled. She definitely wished Cameron could see her now. She grabbed the letter from her desk and went out into the hall where she found Mark walking towards the stairs from his room, he didn't seem very happy.

"Are you okay, Mark?" she asked when he got a little closer.

"Yeah, it's just after this summer you're going to be in college. I'll only see you at holidays." he mumbled and Sam gave him a faint smile before kneeling down in front of him and hugging him tight.

"You can write to me and call me. I'm going to need to hear from my little brother. You know Aunt Rose's phone number, right?" she asked in reference to Cameron's aunt who taught at MIT and was going to be hosting Sam while she was there. Mark nodded slowly while he leaned against her. "Okay. Now let's get downstairs for breakfast before Mom has to call us again." She pulled back and let him take her hand and lead her downstairs. When she got into the kitchen she happily received her mother's embrace and one from her father who was just laying the jacket of his dress blues along the back of his chair.

"I'm so proud of you, Sammie." he whispered into her ear as she pressed against his chest. "Are you all set?" She nodded before bringing up the letter in her hand.

"Daddy, do you have any stamps in your desk?" she asked hopefully as Jacob glanced at the letter then sent a little smile towards his wife, Joanna.

"Is that another letter for Cameron?" asked her mother. Sam nodded though she frowned at the smile she was getting from her.

"Yes, I have some stamps in the drawer of my bureau," Jacob said as Sam began to dash off, "but you won't need them." She froze and turned around slowly, looking at her father and his smiling face with wide eyes. The doorbell interrupted her before she could ask the obvious question and she ran for it when Jacob gave her a little scooting motion with his fingers. She yanked the front door open and there he was. She just launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hiya Sam." he greeted while chuckling.

"Cam! You're here!" she breathed as her eyes began to sting.

"Mistress of the Obvious." he burbled in response. She groaned because it was something he'd learned from her.

"Hey Frank, Wendy, Emily. Come on in, if you think you can make your way around the teens." Jacob joked from behind her and she blushed with a look at Cameron's family. She pulled back hastily and pulled Cam inside to let them in.

"Hi, Mr. 'n' Mrs. Mitchell, Grandma Mitchell." she murmured as Wendy came to give her a hug, followed shortly by Emily Mitchell who kissed both her cheeks.

"Congratulations, Samantha dear. We're so proud of you." The Mitchell Matriarch's eyes were welling up with tears already.

"We really are." Frank added while he leaned on his crutches and patted her head affectionately. Sam nodded gratefully.

"Thanks for my birthday present, Colonel Carter." Cam said, holding up the Walkman he'd just pulled from his pocket, the headphones of which hung around his neck. "You too, Mrs. Carter." he added when Joanna came out into the hall from the kitchen with Mark in tow. "Hey Mark." The youngest Carter threw a little wave and a smile his way.

"You're very welcome, son. Sammie picked it out." Jacob replied with a pat of Sam's shoulder. Cam grinned and Sam's knees felt a little weak as she blushed when he looked her way.

"Best part is when the batteries are running out and a~ll... the~... si~nge~rs... sta~rt... sou~ndi~ng... li~ke... thi~s." he joked while everyone laughed each time his voice would get lower and slower.

"Samantha, why don't you take Cameron upstairs and show him the photos from your Science Fair exhibit." Joanna prompted with a lopsided smile and a raised eyebrow. Sam bit her lip a moment before grabbing Cam's hand and pulling him up the stairs. "Remember we're leaving in thirty, and you still haven't eaten." Sam didn't reply, just leading a clearly amused Cameron towards her room.

"We're not really going to be looking at Science Fair pictures, are we?" he asked, grinning. She glared at him then pulled him into her room and closed the door behind them. She shoved the letter she'd finished writing earlier into his hands and pushed him towards her bed where he sat down and opened it with a short laugh. He spent a minute or two reading it while she got the photo album from her shelf. She sat across from him on the bed and plopped the album down between them then flipped through the pages to the photos of her exhibit which she left open for him to look at if he wanted to. He usually did.

"I didn't know you were coming today." she said softly as he looked up from the letter with a smile.

"I see that. Yeah, I'm going to join the varsity team this year. I'll probably be on the bench, but the coach might play me in a couple of games or at the end when we have a big lead." He put her letter down and picked up the album, looking over each picture in turn while he spoke. "As for holiday plans, well, here I am." He paused in the middle of turning a page to grin at her and she couldn't contain her own smile. "Will I still get an extra long letter next time though? That's the question." he asked in a serious voice and Sam giggled.

"Yes, you will. I promise." she replied as he put the album down on her bed again. "So what have you been listening to on _my_ Walkman?" she asked.

"_Your_ Walkman?" He chuckled as he took the headphones from around his neck and gently placed them over her ears. "I don't have any albums on cassette yet, but my Dad showed me how to dub some songs from records." He chuckled and she frowned at him suspiciously. "Here, I recorded this one 'cause it always makes me think of you." He rewound the tape to the beginning and began to play. Some notes of synth pop began immediately with a catchy tune and when the singer started out she was beginning to like it. Then she laughed out loud when he exclaimed 'she blinded me with science!' and a British accented voice started calling out the same with added cries of 'Science!' thrown in for good measure.

"Cameron!" she cried jovially and he laughed.

"She _blinded_ me... with _Science_!" Cam cried with a fake accent. Sam shuffled on her bed to prop herself up against the wall and Cam moved to sit next to her. They spent the next fifteen minutes or so talking about the other songs on his tape, mostly rock music like Queen and Dire Straits, with the odd pop song added in.

"Samantha, Cameron, time to get going, And your mother says you have to eat something first, Samantha!" called Wendy Mitchell from downstairs. Sam sighed and pressed stop on the Walkman, taking the headphones off, she handed it back to Cam then scooted off the bed. He followed and they walked to the door. She reached for the handle, but stopped and turned around, leaning against the door instead.

"Cam, you haven't asked." she said softly. He looked at her for a moment.

"I know you'll tell me when you want to." he replied and she looked down with a blush.

"Cameron... would you freak out if I told you I loved you?" she asked hesitantly.

"No." he replied immediately, without even the hint of a smile. "Would you, if I did the same?" She was quiet for a moment before replying.

"Yeah, just a little." she breathed as her cheeks felt like they were on fire. Cam lifted her chin with a finger then pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose as he smiled at her.

"Well, let's go. I wanna hear the speech from the youngest valedictorian in the history of James Madison High." His eyes were sparkling and he was blushing as well. Sam leaned forward and kissed him softly for a moment. When she pulled back she blinked and looked away. "What?" he asked worriedly.

"Um, I don't feel nervous anymore." she said with a grin. She bit her lip then whirled around and opened her door. Grabbing his hand, she dragged him back downstairs.

* * *

Cambridge, Massachusetts, August 1988 (alternate reality)

Cameron turned around from his cup of coffee when he heard the door of the small café open and his skin began to tingle. She was here. When he met her eyes and she grinned magnificently at him he couldn't help his own smile. She'd done it. He slipped off the stool before she reached him and wrapped his arms around her in congratulations.

"Well done, Sam." he whispered into her ear. She shook her head.

"It's not final until I submit the final thesis and all the paperwork." she murmured only for him to scoff.

"Well done, _Dr._ Carter." he growled and she shivered in his arms, burying her face against his neck. He held her tightly for several more moments before pulling back and looking her up and down. "You defended your thesis dressed like that?" he asked, taking in her jeans and floral patterned blouse. She glared at him. "Don't get me wrong, you look... gorgeous. Just not what I'd think a thesis committee would appreciate." She drew her lips tight and gave his ribs a little punch.

"No. I wore a suit and skirt. I changed out of it because I was coming to meet my boyfriend." She glared even harder when he began to look around the café. "Ass!" She pressed more tightly against him and kissed him hard. She punched him again after she pulled away to find him chuckling. "Now come on. I promised myself a treat and we're going to go get her." She took his hand and began to lead him out of the café without protest until they got to the door, at which point he stopped and turned to face inside.

"Everyone, say farewell to MIT's newest Ph.D. In Theoretical Astrophysics and future Astronaut, Dr. Samantha Carter!" He motioned towards her and she immediately flushed bright crimson behind her glasses as everyone in the small eatery cheered and clapped. She waved and retreated as fast as a very-pleased-with-himself Cameron would allow.

"I can't believe you did that!" she cried in embarrassment. He laughed and wrapped her in his arms as she buried her face in her hands against his shoulder. He waved down a taxi which they climbed into. Sam gave the driver an address in the suburbs and went back to hiding her burning cheeks with her hands. She leaned against Cam when his arm slipped around her shoulder.

"So you had no problems with the Air Force liaison when he came to see you?" He waggled his fingers in front of his eyes, alluding to her glasses.

"Oh, no, my eyesight is nearly perfect Cam, I wear these for show, mostly." She whispered the next under her breath. "And 'cause you like them." She glared at him when she realised he'd heard her and was grinning broadly. "Shut up!"

"I didn't say anything!" he cried.

"Yes, you didn't say anything _very loudly_." she grumbled, but settled her head back on his shoulder and he turned to kiss her hair gently. They drove on in pleasant silence while watching the scenery out the window of the cab. Cameron was sure that they'd likely end up here sometime in the distant future. He knew Sam would want to teach after she retired from the Air Force. He smiled softly with his lips still pressed against her soft blonde locks. "What is it, Cam?"

"Nothing." He kissed the top of her head again. "Just, I'm wondering which neighbourhoods you're looking at for when you want us to move here in thirty or forty years." She turned to him with her eyes wide in surprise and he laughed, knowing from her reaction that's exactly what she'd been doing. "Don't sweat it, baby, okay?" She buried her face against his neck and they spent the rest of the short journey with talk of autumns and springs in New England.

They hopped out of the cab in front of a white-washed house with green shutters and walked up to the front door. Sam bounded the last few steps and pressed the doorbell eagerly. A few moments later the door was answered by a man in his early thirties with slicked back hair and an unbuttoned flannel shirt over a red t-shirt.

"You must be Samantha Carter." he said with a smile and Sam nodded happily. "You'll want to see her then?" He grabbed some keys from a small table by the door and stepped out. "Marshall Wozniak, pleased to meet you." He shook both their hands as Cam gave him his own name. He walked them around the front of his house to the garage and unlocked the door, swinging it up and then pulling a blue tarpaulin from the front of a small, sleek vintage sportscar. Sam's eyes lit up and her lips split into a grin as she took in the silver lines.

"A Volvo, huh?" Cam asked as he helped the man pull the tarpaulin back over the roof and the trunk. "The Saint's car." Both of them chuckled at that. Sam frowned at them in confusion. "Oh, c'mon, Sam, The Saint? It's what got Roger Moore the role of James Bond." She just shrugged and Cam rolled his eyes at their host who just laughed.

"Anyway, this one is silver and not white like Simon Templar's. 1971 P1800E. Two liter inline four, electronic fuel injection, four wheel disc brakes." Marshall recited from memory. "She belonged to my grandmother," he chuckled, "the definition of a Sunday driver. She only used her to go to and from church and other events." His features softened and Sam came to stand by Cameron while passing her fingers over the car's lines. "After Grandpa passed, she didn't trust anyone but me to look after her." Cam pointed to the front of the car.

"Can I look under the hood?" he asked and the man motioned him over before finding the hood release. Cam lifted the hood forwards away from the windshield and looked down on the B20E engine. "That's very clean." he whispered, impressed.

"My Grandma was a special lady, kid." He said no more. Cam just nodded, knowing exactly where he was coming from. "That's why I need to find her baby a good home." He looked at Sam for a long moment. "She left her to me in her will, but I can't..." He closed his eyes and shook his head softly. "I've already turned down several offers for her. I couldn't sell her to someone who doesn't understand what I'm talking about when I say this is a special car." Sam nodded slowly. "I think you do." He pointed at her hand as it rested lightly on the roof. "You haven't taken your hand off her since I uncovered her." Sam glanced down and flushed slightly, pulling her fingers away from the car with a little difficulty. Cam smiled while Marshall chuckled. "It's okay, Ms. Carter. It tells me what kind of person you are." He turned to Cam. "The guys I turned down, they all came in with their hands in their pockets. They'd look at her with narrowed eyes."

"Looking for flaws." Cam said softly and Sam's head whipped around incredulously. Marshall laughed at that.

"See? That's what I mean. You can't even imagine looking for imperfections, can you?" He smiled in amusement as Cam chuckled and gently closed the hood. "You came in and immediately placed your hand on her. You know what she's about, you can feel it, right? How she wants to cut through the wind?" Sam nodded shakily. Marshall looked at her for several long moments. "Do you promise to look after her?"

"Yes." She glanced at Cam. "We will." Cam turned to look at her with a smile and a raised eyebrow.

"Three grand and you can drive away with her right now." Marshall smiled when Sam immediately reached for her bag. "One guy offered me six. He wanted a show car." Sam paused and looked over in surprise. "Like I said, Ms. Carter. She's a special car, she belonged to a special lady." He began to walk towards the interior door leading into the house. "Come, let me get you some tea while I dig up the paperwork." He walked inside and Sam turned to look at Cameron with her chequebook in hand.

"A special car, for a special lady, Sam." He grinned and kissed her tenderly.

* * *

Willard Intercontinental, Washington D.C., November 2000 (alternate reality)

"This place is something else." Cam muttered half under his breath as he tugged at the wingtip collar of his mess dress shirt. Sam smiled at him and stopped him to straighten out the white bow tie and then smooth the line of his jacket.

"Well, the Air Force doesn't give out this many Air Medals all at once very often, Cam, and the Vice-President is handing them out." She looked at him with pride in her eyes, knowing what he and his wing had done to earn theirs. Major Cameron Mitchell's flight had distinguished itself keeping the entire North Korean Navy at bay to protect a downed American air crew who were slowly drifting into the territorial waters of the PRK. A South Korean coast guard cutter got to the crash site just in time to get them while they were still in international waters. His whole unit was also receiving the Outstanding Unit Award. He raised an eyebrow at her as he straightened the collar of her own mess dress uniform.

"Well, I don't think the Vice-President is here to pin a medal to my chest. I think he's here to pin one on yours and Colonel O'Neill's." he said with an amused glint in his eye. She sighed and shook her head with a rueful smile. She was getting the same medal as Cam and his flight, but the details of the operation were classified as Top Secret. She reached up to caress his cheek. "I know, sweetness, I know." He kissed her gently. "I'm just glad I'm back Stateside after so long in Japan." She nodded in complete agreement. "So then, am I presentable? Do I get to meet the members of your unit now?" She smiled and nodded. "Good, 'cause I want to meet the guys who are watching your six when I can't." She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and looped her arm through his as they walked further into the marbled lobby of the old hotel, suffused in a golden glow which made all the deep mahogany woodwork and polished brasswork shine.

"Carter!" They both turned at the voice to see Jack in his own mess dress uniform and Daniel walking next to him in a white tied tuxedo.

"Colonel, Daniel. You're finally here." She smiled outwardly, though inside she was nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. She wished Teal'c could have come, but the Jaffa kind of... stood out. "Sir, I'd like you to meet Major Cameron Mitchell. His is the other unit receiving medals at the ceremony. Cam, this is my commanding officer, Colonel Jack O'Neill," Cam shook the man's hand eagerly, "and this is Dr. Daniel Jackson, the cultural advisor of our unit." Cam gave her one of his evil sidelong glances, she knew exactly what he was thinking, what did Deep Space Radar Telemetry analysis need cultural knowledge for?

"Colonel, it's a great pleasure to meet you at last, Sam has told me a lot about you, though I assure you, very few specifics." he joked and Jack actually laughed at that while Sam glared at both of them. He shook Daniel's hand. "Dr. Jackson, when Sam mentioned your name I looked you up. Really interesting books." Daniel blinked in surprise as did Sam when she glanced at him. Cam laughed as they both spoke in unison.

"You read my books?"

"You read his books?"

"Yes, I liked them, a little out there, but I like that sort of stuff." he replied as he nodded his confirmation. Daniel gave a rueful smile as Jack looked at him with a grin.

"Looks like we've found a fan of yours, Daniel." he teased.

"Jack." he sounded in warning.

"Isn't someone missing, sweetness?" Cam asked glancing around the other two men. Sam nodded sadly.

"Yes, Teal'c can't be here today. I do want you to meet him," she didn't miss O'Neill's little warning glance, "it'll have to be some other time." Cameron nodded and the glance he gave her made her aware he hadn't missed Jack's look either. She closed her eyes and bit her lip. Jack at least tried to cover it up.

"Sweetness?" he asked, all innocence. Sam immediately flushed a deep crimson all the way to the tips of her ears.

"Ah, yes, sir. Cam's my... well we're childhood sweethearts you could say." she replied.

"Oh, really?" Daniel and Jack asked in unison. They both frowned at each other while Cam and Sam chuckled. Jack then turned a level, scrutinising gaze on Cameron.

"So when are you-" He stopped and lifted his eyebrows with a quick blink of his eyes. Sam glanced at Cam, but he just smiled at her. "Right then, I do believe General Hammond is already inside, you should meet him, Major."

"Please lead the way, sir." Cam turned slightly to allow Jack to walk past him. Sam held him back for a second and looked at his eyes carefully.

"You're up to something, Mitchell." she said at last and he gave her the worst mock-innocent look in the history of mock-innocent looks. She rolled her eyes and pulled him along by the arm. "Come on."

After several hours of receiving awards, shaking hands, taking the approbation of crowds, eating amazingly good food, drinking horrifically expensive champagne and dancing to exquisitely played music, Sam found herself snaking her arms into the sleeves of her overcoat as Cameron held it up for her. She'd bid farewell to Jack and Daniel a little earlier at his urging as he'd chosen that moment to whisk her away. He put on his own coat as he walked her out of the grand old hotel and bid her stay while he spoke a moment with the doorman who nodded and called over another who listened to some whispered commands then proceeded down the front steps of the hotel. Cam came to stand in front of her and she slipped her arms around his waist under his coat and melted into his embrace in the chill November air of the nation's capital.

"I've missed seeing you so much, Cameron." she breathed softly while he drew lazy circles on her lower back with his gloved hands. He didn't speak so she looked up after a moment and was stunned into silence herself by his look. His eyes were aglow, deep and blue and she was drowning in them. The doorman approached and she was saved when Cam turned his head to acknowledge the man and took her hand to lead her to the waiting yellow taxi. He helped her in then walked to the other side and entered himself. She frowned slightly when the driver started off without Cam giving any directions. "Where are we going, Cam?" He smiled, but said nothing, she narrowed her eyes at him, but let him keep his mystery for the duration of the cab ride. It didn't take very long in fact.

They exited the cab and she knew exactly where they were. It was the Lincoln Memorial. He led her along the snow-filled path around the large building, but they didn't go inside. Instead he took her down the steps towards the reflecting pool along which Lincoln looked towards the obelisk of the Washington Monument. She gasped slightly when she saw the Moon hanging in the sky above the point of the needle and how its reflection shimmered and wavered in the water of the pool. Cam faced her towards the pool and held her from behind with his arms slipped around her waist. She smiled and leaned into him, laying her hands on top of his on her stomach.

"Would you freak out if I told you I loved you, Sam?" he whispered in her ear and she immediately knew what was about to happen. Her eyes widened and her breath hitched, but she managed to shake her head and whisper a 'no' into the frozen air. "Samantha Carter, I love you." Her eyes began to sting behind her glasses. "I've always loved you." Her brows tightened. "I want to be with you for the rest of my life, if you'll have me." He slipped his hands out from under hers and when he brought them back up they held a small box which he opened in front of her tear filled eyes as her hands had come up to cover her mouth. It was his grandmother's ring, the diamonds along it glowing in the moonlight. The tears began to roll down her cheeks and over her fingers. "Will you marry me, Sam?" She nodded her head over and over and forced in a shuddering breath so she could tell him in no uncertain terms what her answer was.

"Yes!" she cried as she spun around in his arms and kissed him fiercely, hungrily. She took his cheeks in her hands and pulled him tight against her, seeking and receiving entry with a flick of her tongue against his lips. She tasted him and poured herself into the kiss so he would taste her and know exactly how happy she was at that moment in time. After all, she could taste his joy.

* * *

Skies above the Ancient outpost, Antarctica, June 2004 (alternate reality)

"I can't shake him. Reroute power to the-" A massive blast from behind him shook the F302 and the yoke nearly leapt out of his hand. Sparks flew past his helmet to land on his control board as it lit up like a Christmas tree in shades of yellow and red, indicating game over. "Banks, you okay? Banks!" He could hear the groaning and keening of metal grinding against metal as he tried to wrestle his fighter under control. "Awww, I'm losing it. Hang on back there. Eject, eject!" he called into the radio to inform Prometheus he was bailing out.

He pulled hard on the levers on either side of his head rest and heard explosive bolts popping all around the cockpit and the whoosh of the small rocket engines powering up as the entire cockpit module separated from the dying fighter and shot up into the sky. He grunted at the sudden pull of acceleration now that he no longer had the ship's inertial dampeners compensating for it. Something was wrong, however. The chutes should have already deployed since they were in an atmosphere. "Chute auto-deploy failed. Attempting manual release." He reached down on either side of his seat for two other levers and pulled them up hard and was relieved when he heard the small bursts from the chute deployment mechanism going off. He grinned to himself when the three canopies opened above his head. He glanced down at the altimeter and calculated in his head it would take about ten seconds for the module to settle into the snowfield below.

"Prometheus, this is Blue Leader, manual chute deployment successful. Current location: seventy-eight degrees forty-nine minutes south, one hundred and sixty-two degrees fifteen minutes east."He glanced to the side where he could see Prometheus in the distance and the small triangular speck of the Tel'tak underneath it riding the blue-white coring beam over the ice. He looked down at the relatively smooth surface of Ross Ice Shelf and grimaced slightly. If it wasn't for that energy beam drilling into the ice just over a kilometer away he'd freeze to death in minutes out in the middle of the Antarctic winter. "Impact in three," he crossed his arms across his chest and pulled his head in, "two, one." He grunted again in pain at the force of the landing and quickly slammed down on the chute release before they tipped the module over in the wind. "Be advised, Prometheus, Blue Leader is on the ground." He quickly unstrapped himself and pulled his mask off. He turned to look behind him at his co-pilot, Lieutenant Banks. "Adam, buddy?" He frowned at what he saw. The kid was unconscious and bleeding from a head wound. "I'll get you out of here, kid." They were sitting ducks for any glider pilot who felt like taking a pot shot at them if he couldn't get them out of this module. He was about to open the cockpit canopy when the radio squawked into life.

"Blue Leader, this is Prometheus, we read your location as one thousand two hundred and sixteen meters due east southeast." Cam frowned and glanced at Banks. He was in a bad way. "We are unable to send S&R at present, over." He cursed.

"Copy that, Prometheus. Will attempt to reach you. Blue Leader out." He reached under the console and pulled the lever stops for the canopy release and hit the button to open it. He felt the cold wind immediately and watched as the canopy slid forward then tipped up slightly to land with a soft thud into the snow in front of the module. He clambered out and moved to the back, climbing up to unstrap Banks and haul him out by the armpits. He laid him down in the snow and moved forward to push the canopy flat on its top surface. Although a bit on the hefty side, it would make a half-way decent sled on which to drag Banks. He pulled Adam onto it and went back to retrieve the emergency supplies from the module, wrapping the kid in both emergency foil blankets. He clipped the radio to his flight suit after checking it out then slipped out his combat knife from his belt to cut away some of the chute straps lying around the module. He tied them up to the canopy and crouched down to eat a power bar. He was definitely glad that energy beam had significantly raised the temperature in the area.

It was dark by the time he arrived under the cover of Prometheus. As he did the coring beam shut off completely and the lack of it made him shiver in the new waves of freezing air which were rushing back in. He nearly fell over though when thousands of glowing... things... flew up out of the hole the cargo ship had been drilling and spilled around Prometheus and into the sky. What the Hell was that? He shook his head, no time to think about that now. He picked up the radio from his suit and brought it up to his lips.

"Prometheus, this is Blue Leader. Am in your shadow, need ring locator, over." He knew the Asgard beams wouldn't work through the shields, but the ring transporter could skate in through the frequency shifts. Several spot lights close to the ship's bow flashed and Cam headed for the pool of light they made in the snow. He dragged the canopy over and pulled it in to the center of the three spots. "Prometheus, this is Blue Leader, in position." he gasped as his teeth began chattering in the cold. The rings swept down around him and the makeshift sled and he collapsed in relief in the warmth of the ring room.

He woke up in the infirmary to find Sam's head resting on his hand as she held it in her own. He gave hers a squeeze and her head came up instantly as she blinked blearily at him. Her eyes were the most beautiful things.

"Hey you." she whispered with a smile.

"Hey yourself." he whispered back. "How are you?"

"Ass. I'm fine. How are you?" She reached up and smoothed his fringe a little. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Feel okay. Was cold there for a bit after you shut off the drilling beam." He grinned at her frown. "How's Banks?" he asked with trepidation.

"Still touch and go in surgery, last I heard." She looked off towards one of the nurses, but turned back when he squeezed her hand again.

"The rest of your team?" He frowned when her brow tightened.

"Um, I suppose they're all fine, though Jack's in stasis and if we take him out he'll die." She held a hand up to her mouth and he pulled her towards him, she laid her head on his chest and he smoothed down her hair and whispered gentle calming noises into her ear.

"He'll be fine, sweetheart. Just gotta get him to the Asgard, right?" He smiled reassuringly when she glanced up and nodded. "How about you go grab the doc and check to see if I can get out of this place." She nodded and put her glasses back on from where she'd laid them at his bedside and walked away.

A month later he was looking down stupidly at the Medal of Honour Sam had put around his neck during a ceremony in the embarkation room at the SGC. The President of the United States, of all people, had held the box for her after having made a speech about him and the rest of his squadron which left him wanting to dig a hole into the solid concrete under the Stargate and crawl in. Sam had just grinned at him the entire time and that only made his ears burn all the more. He shook hands with hundreds of people, most of whom he didn't know, some of whom he recognised. Now, the President and the brass had left and Sam was walking at his side, through one of the SGC's labyrinthine corridors, with her arm looped through his. She leaned against him and he looked up to meet her eyes.

"I've always loved how you fill out your dress blues." she murmured in a way that made him gulp and blush. She laughed and leaned in for a kiss. "I'm so proud of you, sweetie. You saved everyone, understand?" He nodded dumbly.

"Lt. Colonel Mitchell, Lt. Colonel Carter, please come to Dr. Weir's office." They both looked up at hearing the voice of Sergeant Harriman and turned around to head to the elevator and sublevel 27. They walked into the office of the SGC's new civilian administrator and knocked lightly on the door.

"Colonel Carter, Colonel Mitchell. Congratulations again. A well-deserved honour." She beamed at him as she stood up and walked around her desk to shake his hand.

"Thanks, Dr. Weir." he said warmly.

"I have some news. As you know, Colonel O'Neill is currently... well there's no easy way to say it, he's unable to perform his duties." She looked away and frowned. "I have requested, and received approval for, an interim commander for SG-1." She looked pointedly at Cameron. "If you'll accept, Colonel." They were both stunned. Cam looked at Sam then back at Weir.

"What about Sam, she has the experience-" he stopped when Sam clapped her hand over his mouth.

"Shut up and say yes." she growled. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes, yes I know you technically can't do both at the same time, Ass!" She turned to Elizabeth who was having trouble stifling a smirk. "He says yes." The diplomat raised her eyebrows as her lips curled upwards and she looked at Cam who just nodded while his mouth was still covered.

"Well then, welcome to Stargate Command, Lt. Colonel Mitchell." She smiled and shook his hand again before Sam wrapped her arms around him.

* * *

Stargate Command, January 2006

Sam pulled her arm down from where it held the elevator doors open and gave her other self a long look. She turned and caught up with Cameron as he followed this reality's Mitchell and looped her arm through his. He turned and smiled at her and reached up to push her glasses further up the bridge of her nose.

"Give them time, sweetie." she whispered. "From what I understand, this reality actively prevents them from getting together with regulations designed to keep unit members from becoming intimate." He frowned with a curious glance thrown her way. She just shrugged.

"You want to know something strange?" he asked her finally as they rounded the corner to enter the screening room. She nodded. "Most of the Mitchells I've talked to only met their Sam at the Academy. One guy only met her after joining the SGC. His Sam is a civvie." She blinked in surprise.

"What about the barbecue?" she asked with a note of incredulity. Could their realities be as divergent as that? Cameron shrugged. They found themselves seats in the second row next to the first team that had come through the 'gate during this funnel incident. Sam glanced down at the rings on their fingers and smiled knowingly. She leaned towards the Carter sitting next to her. "So how long have you and your Cam been married?" she asked softly. Carter turned to her and glanced down at the rings on her and Cam's hands as he passed her a drink and a bowl of snacks which she passed on to Carter.

"A little after his crash in Antarctica. He was badly injured and was in hospital for a year." She frowned softly at the recollection and Sam patted the back of her hand. She'd come to realise how lucky her Cameron had been during that battle. Carter turned back and smiled at her faintly. "Just a small ceremony in the hospital chapel. And you?" Sam glanced at her Cam as he munched on some cheese puffs.

"Over five years now. We got married at the Cadet Chapel." She beamed a smile at Carter who smiled back and nodded. A cheer rose up throughout the room as _their_ Daniel stood up at the front of the room in his forest camo BDUs and motioned them all for quiet. Their Teal'c stood next to him and handed him a microphone, it seemed they'd pulled commentating duties for the game.

"Okay, folks, you're in for quite a spectacle this evening." He smiled as everyone cheered and he waved them back down. "Those of you who were there don't spoil it for the Carters, alright?" He turned slightly when he spotted a newcomer coming in and Sam followed his gaze to see Martouf walking in. This reality's Carter wasn't anywhere in sight, but she couldn't help the relief she was feeling.

"Good on ya, Martouf." She heard Cam mutter from beside her and she flicked his cheek with a chiding finger while he turned his grin on her. Carter beside her looked at her curiously.

"This reality's Sam, she's been-" she was interrupted by Carter shaking her head in understanding.

"Don't I know it. I've been trying my hardest to subtly throw a spanner in there." she breathed in frustration.

"Well, if Martouf is here right now, then I think he's also on our side." she added and smirked at the raised eyebrow she received in return. She shook her head and Carter grumbled.

"Oh, before I forget." Carter turned towards her and gave Sam and Cam an intense look, the Mitchell next to her leaned forward in his seat so he could look at them both as well. "When the time comes, cut the green one." Sam frowned and was about to ask what Carter was talking about when Cam slid his hand over her mouth.

"Got it, thanks." he replied and Carter nodded, turning back to the large projection screen at the front of the room which was beginning to show the two teams of Mitchells warming up. Sam turned to Cameron and glared at him from behind her glasses. He shook his head. "Sam, baby, I think that's as much as we need to know, don't you?" She tilted her head and glanced back at the other Carter. She turned towards Cam again and took a hold of his hand, gripping it tightly.

"I won't lose you." she promised. He nodded, promising the same with a look.


End file.
